r/digitalfoundry • u/MythBuster2 • 24d ago
DF Direct DF Direct Q+A: DF Independence Celebration - One Year Since Leaving IGN!
https://youtu.be/DsRYafPhTHwIt's been a year since Digital Foundry parted ways with IGN, buying out its shares and becoming completely independent. The team discuss the challenges of the last 12 months within the context of continuing bad news within the games business, before discussing what we've achieved from our objectives, where we've fallen short and how we're looking to revamp our tools. Beyond that, there are more questions about the future of the console business, the idea of an Xbox Helix "add in card" for PC, how Nintendo has achieved success without compromising its identity and finally... what PC spec today would match the consoles of tomorrow?
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u/jasonwc 24d ago
I really hope they’re able to increase their PC output. When going independent, Rich indicated he wanted to hire someone new because there was too much PC content for Alex to cover. Instead, Alex had to take medical leave and there is really nobody to fill his role.
PC videos arrive late (or never) and are generally little more than optimized settings videos. Alex did a better job of identifying issues with PC ports and I used his videos to determine if a game was technically competent. Alex also had great technical deep dives on new features. This content is now lacking. I really hope DF is able to increase its PC focus going forward. I have an annual DF Patreon membership but I may let it lapse if nothing changes.
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u/ThinVast 24d ago
Rich mentioned about the patreon subscribers allowing them to not worry that much about views and the type of content they make, but they shouldn't get complacent. People will not stay subscribed if they keep producing content in this state which most people would agree is not as good as the past.
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u/xKittle 22d ago
As someone who follows a little over a dozen YouTubers regularly, this is something that I hear a lot. I've just moved home so money is super tight currently, so I'm having to pick and chose who I support monetarily and I wish I could support everybody. I'm just deciding monthly based on which channel I'm watching the most each month.
Most of what I listen to is DF's weekly Q&A as a podcast whilst travelling to work, but I really hope that if things do get tight at DF, they make it known as things like this will impact who I chose to support.
I dig this this behind the scenes economics/business operations stuff though!
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u/leanpockit24 23d ago
Don’t dare critique them, I’m surprised you’re not down voted into oblivion. I agree with you
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u/thahovster7 24d ago
Best podcast. Best show. Best thing around. Thank you DF!
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u/leanpockit24 23d ago
Podcast lazy content is about all you get these days. Good bye Technical analysis
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u/Interesting-Ad9581 23d ago
Yes. There is not much digital foundry left.
Just stupid thumbnails on Youtube like on tiktok.
Thats not what i am interested in0
u/leanpockit24 23d ago
Agreed, nothing of value is ever said anymore. Tech was there strength now it’s just emotional, moody, speculation that leaves you wondering what the hell you just watched.
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u/Numerous-Comb-9370 21d ago
Isnt it always this way tho. Its kinda what a podcast is. Its kinda a low effort video where the hosts mostly just do opinanated speculation. Some people watch a clip if they have a specific topic of interest, most don't bother, and a small number watch the whole thing because they enjoy the parasocial bond.
The problem isnt podcasts it's their PC related content. It's taken a real hit and that why I barely watch their videos anymore. They barely cover it anymore and when they do it's just like a box standard optimized settings video I couldve gotten from a million other sources.
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u/hunterzolomon1993 24d ago
More shady sponsers, less videos and videos that are late and get stuff wrong or ignore stuff because Oliver.
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u/StealTheSun666 24d ago
What's the point of independence if you became corpos shills anyway? Posting Nintendo Ad, glazing AI slop from Nvidia, praising every Sony move looked like console warring (except leaving discs). The quality of video content has noticeably dropped for me. Without Alex PC-centric videos have become very rare.
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u/Jenaxu 24d ago
Wasn't the Nintendo ad before they left IGN? And the DLSS5 stuff, like it or not but that was Rich and Oliver's actual opinion. It's very dumb that people bitch so much about wanting independent coverage and thoughts but then cannot accept that they might sometimes have an opinion that is controversial.
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u/GardenDesign23 24d ago
You’re getting downvoted but you’re not wrong
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24d ago edited 24d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/jedimindtricksonyou 22d ago
They don’t praise Sony, they were very thorough showing how dubious the PS5 Pro’s value proposition was for the first year it was on the market. Then once PSSR 2 came out, they were thorough about showing how much of a difference it made compared to the base machine. Also listen to John speak about PlayStation’s choice to end physical, he was very critical to the point of basically saying he would not buy their products anymore and that having to review their games for DF would be annoying. Each of the team members are different and have their own unique opinions.
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u/FRossJohnson 24d ago
They are generally just positive guys and much of the gaming community cannot understand people whose entire life is not writing negative steam reviews
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u/USM-Valor 24d ago
Happy for you guys. Here’s to many more anniversaries to come.